Wakefield prepare to evacuate notice lifted Civil Defence Group Controller Roger Ball has lifted the conditional re-entry status for Wakefield. The decision was possible because of the work that had been done in fighting the fire and means people living and working in Wakefield are no longer subjec...

Kingsland Forest development plan

That’s a question we're considering this year and will be included in a development plan for this important asset on Richmond’s backdoor.

We are preparing a plan for the future use of Kingsland Forest, taking into account its current mix of recreation, commercial forestry and biodiversity restoration functions and the best mix of these into the future. Many of us enjoy that morning, evening or weekend stroll or mountain bike through the forest located on our doorstep. As a first step in stakeholder and community engagement, we are asking users of the forest to tell us their thoughts through a survey.

The survey will be open from 8 February until 28 February. We want your opinions and suggestions to ensure the forest best provides for the needs of our community into the future.

Kingsland Forest is one of several forests we own to raise revenue and reduce the demand on rates. Many of these forests, such as Moturoa/Rabbit Island and Kingsland, are also key destinations for recreation.

Kingsland Forest covers about 100 hectares, most of which is planted with pinus radiata. A significant proportion of these trees are due to be harvested in the next few years. There are also pockets of native species within the forest that are being restored through additional planting and pest control by active and keen volunteers. The forest contains the ‘Barrington Gum’, a Eucalyptus regnans or mountain ash, which is reputed to be one of the tallest trees in New Zealand.

Stormwater from the forest flows through the Richmond urban area before reaching the sea. Any decisions on future land use will need to consider the impacts on these stormwater flows.